A system for managing energy consumption is provided, particularly a control system which dynamically controls a household appliance, such as a home air conditioner, and generates a timing schedule to precondition a building with respect to time-related energy pricing, user need, travel habits, and offsets created by employing a vehicle to grid power system so as to efficiently manage the energy consumption and to minimize the user's electricity bill.
In supplying power to homes in certain jurisdictions, utility companies offer variable pricing plans where the price of electricity per unit will vary depending on peak time or power watch conditions, off peak conditions, and energy usage. Customers with advanced meters pay different amounts for electricity over these different conditions. Power prices are cheaper in the off peak times, and the peak time prices may vary wildly depending on conditions.
Power consumption in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems has not been varied due to these time use periods. The operation of HVAC unit at peak time of utility price is not economical and may cost much more to the user. Some newer energy management system can simply perform the tasks of switching appliances on and off based on a preset schedule or if no user exists.
However, energy savings by known control units is not so great employing the conventional HVAC energy management system. To realize increased energy saving, it is necessary to actively collaborate in reducing energy consumption in peak hours and utilize off peak hours more efficiently.
Sometimes the user may be away from the place where the control unit is installed, resulting in uncontrolled electricity distribution. Thus the conventional approach fails to efficiently regulate the electricity consumption in HVAC systems since energy pricing is linked more directly to the supply and demand for power.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) describes a system in which plug-in electric vehicles, such as electric cars (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), communicate with the power grid to sell demand response services by either delivering electricity into the grid or by throttling their charging rate.
Vehicle-to-grid can be used to provide excess grid capacity, particularly in peak hours. Since most vehicles are parked an average of 95% of the time, their batteries can be used to let electricity flow from the car to the power lines and back, with a value to the utilities of up to several thousand dollars per year per car.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved control system for managing the energy consumption in HVAC systems that overcome the disadvantages of the conventional power consumption control approaches. Also, it is desirable to take advantage of V2G opportunities to offset peak power charges related to energy consumption in an HVAC system.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved system for HVAC system which enables the home to be preconditioned in a cost effective and desired manner. It is desirable to provide a system which dynamically switches on the electrical power supplied and generate a timing schedule to precondition the home with respect to the users conditioning needs, as well as by managing the energy consumption in peak times by providing a method of offsetting peak usage by peak V2G supply to minimize the user's electricity bill.